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PrintBilly Walters, a well-known sports betting legend whose six-figure bets have kept bookmakers on their toes for decades, has filed a lawsuit against three handicapping sites who are falsely using his likeness to sell picks for profit.
In the suit, Walters claims that he has received death threats from people who have lost significant money by following his picks, picks that he insists he has never released or sold.
“I do not sell sports picks,” Walters said in a video address on Thursday afternoon. “I do not ever have any intention of selling sports picks. Unfortunately, there’s some people out there who are representing themselves on the Internet to be me or associated with me that are selling sports picks.”
Those people, according to the lawsuit, are Cooper’s Pick—a Florida LLC—and a pair of New York-based companies, JM Picks and D I Global Marketing.
Interestingly, Cooper’s Pick has purchased advertising space on several prominent sports betting sites in recent months. In addition, they have sent us emails in the past—one as recently as early February—expressing their dislike for our unflattering anti-tout commentary.
Walters has filed an injunction in court in an attempt to curb the criminal activities taking place.
The named defendants in the lawsuit, according to Courthouse News, are as follows: Michael Cooper, Richart Ruddie, Ryan Holzman, Brad Greenberg, John Mack, Rich Garafola, Glen Petrelli, Sal DeCarlo, William “Bill” Conti, Danial Itahov and Chris Hatton.
If you have any additional information on this story, reach us at beyondthebets@gmail.com.
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Billy Walters video transcript:
Hi, my name is Bill Walters. The purpose of this video, I want to set the record straight in regards to me selling sports picks. I do not sell sports picks. I have never sold sports picks. I do not ever have any intention of selling sports picks. Unfortunately, there’s some people out there who are representing themselves on the Internet to be me or associated with me that are selling sports picks. As of today, we have filed an injunction in court to hopefully try to stop this for the time being. The purpose of this, though, is to make sure that this video is out there in perpetuity and I want anyone and everyone to understand if someone represents themselves to be me, or represents themselves to be associated with me, and they’re attempting to sell you sports picks or anyone else, that will not be true, it will not be the case, because although I bet on sports, I do not sell sports picks, nor do I ever have any intention of selling sports picks. Thank you for your time.
